Future Past
by silvertantei
Summary: The end of something is the start of a new story. And between the end and the beginning is anyone's guess.


**My first story here on FF. It's a idea my muse gave me that's been nagging on my brain. I hope you enjoy it, and remember I don't own Pokémon!**

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A scream ripped through the air as a heavily pregnant woman sprawled out on the bed, clenching two sticks as her fingers bled. The doctor moved around her and her pokemon, to get to where her legs were. Ducking underneath, he came the pink-hair nurse a thumbs-up.

"Alright, Nurse Joy, I'll need you to start sterilizing right now. This baby's coming." The doctor ordered in a hoarse voice. "Mrs. Ketchum, I need you to push as hard as you can."

As if hearing him, the pregnant woman groaned in pain as she pushed and panted, begging her child to come out and cursing her husband for getting her pregnant. The husband, Mr. Ketchum, rushed into the room, a pokemon resting on his shoulder, eyes wide with concern.

He wiped clean her face of sweat and caressed her, whispering, "It's gonna be okay, Misty, I promise. It's gonna be okay. Just a little more, okay Hun?"

Screaming in agony, she lurched upwards and gave a push. Her eyes, once opened, darkened and glared at her husband.

"You try…being…pregnant!" She croaked.

"Doctor Sherman!" Nurse Joy called out, gesturing to the mother.

He nodded. "One more push, Mrs. Ketchum, your baby's crowning now!"

With one last glare, and a death grip on her husband's arm, she screeched and gave on final push. The baby slid out of the mother in silence. Doctor Sherman took baby and gave it a good smack to the backside and it wailed.

Nurse Joy's cerulean eyes watered. "Congratulations," She smiled softly, "It's a boy."

The mother and father gazed at eachother happily, a tender smile on their lips. Mr. Ketchum gave her a peck on the lips and rested his hand in hers. She broke it off to stretch out her hands for her son. Doctor Sherman handed the baby over to her and she wrapped him in a blue blanket in her arms snuggling close to him.

"Gary?" The father asked quietly.

"Yes, Ash, this is our baby boy, Gary." Misty kissed the newly named Gary on the forehead. "Our baby boy."

Ash smiled gently at his wife and son. His gaze however sharpened and he whirled himself around to look at the door. Sudden explosions barred all other sounds from existence, even his son's loud cries. His partner pokemon jumped off of his shoulder and onto the ground, cheeks crackling with electricity. In a flash, he took a pokeball from his pouch, pressed the button, releasing the caged pokemon onto the ground.

"Charizard," Ash's baritone voice commanded, cracking ever so slightly. "Take Misty and Gary to the Forest of Time where Celebi is. And whatever you do, make sure that they get there."

Misty's voice hitched as Gary began to scream again. "Ash…please!"

"Misty…" Ash turned to face his wife, black eyes wide but hard, soft but cold. "…I promised I'd look after you." The thundering noise pounding one right after another, shaking the infirmary. Though Misty could not hear his voice, her lip quivered as she saw what he said next. "I love you."

Nurse Joy and Doctor Sherman quickly stepped up to help the new mother, by helping her onto Charizard's back. She wanted to protest, to resist, but with Gary in her arms and weak from labor, she could only allow herself to be taken. Without much warning other than a nod to Ash, Charizard sent a barreling flame into the wall that led directly outside. He flew off with a flap of his huge wings.

Ash gave a quick smile at his family before turning his attention to the medical team. "Please, get to safety now! I can't spare anymore pokemon, so run quickly!"

They in turn nodded and took off through their own methods.

Pikachu looked up at his trainer and saw Ash nod, taking off outside with Ash hot behind him. In the dark sky, Ash could make out the bare signs of Charizard and another flying pokemon, by the looks of it, a Spearrow. He took out another pokemon ball and summoned a flight pokemon, Pidgeotto.

"Quick! After Spearrow, use gust!" Ash's words rang out.

As his pokemon did that, Ash observed the outside world. Rocket goons used their pokemon in an abominable way. Their pokemon were forced to set fire to places, knock out other pokemon, and then injure humans. Every where Ash Ketchum looked, a barren place, a barely standing building, fire on ruins and whatever could be burned. Explosions burst out everywhere and the ground shook with destruction. Tilting his hat down, Ash closed his eyes in agony.

This, this was not the world he wanted to raise his son in, to love and cherish his wife in. Only the end lay right here in front of him. And even until his last breath, he would fight for a world he could be proud of, that his son would be able to enjoy. With a bitter smile on his face, he twisted his hat around and thrust his finger forward.

"C'mon Pikachu, we've got one last battle to win, old friend."

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Misty widened her eyes in horror as she saw what had happened outside of her hospital bed. Her hands tightened around her son's fragile body and she leaned into Charizard. She quaked with fright, Gary sobbed, and her husband Ash battled their lifelong enemies. Why…why did it have to be this way?

Gary screamed in her arms and at that moment, she realized that her son was probably starving. Though, nursing on a flying pokemon while the end of the world was taking place…not exactly the greatest place to feed her kid.

"Hey…hey Gary, it's okay honey." Misty rocked him in her arms, "Mamma's gonna take you somewhere where you'll feel all better, okay?"

Though he still wailed, it quieted down a bit and she sighed in partial relief and partial dismay.

Charizard roared and she looked behind them, seeing a pokemon flying almost directly on top of them. Whipping out a pokeball, she called out her pokemon Starmie.

"Starmie! Watergun!" She shouted. And with that, the two pokemon battled, both aerial, though one far more independent than the other.

Charizard lurched towards the ground in a sudden decent and Misty wrapped on arm around Charizard's neck and the other around her son. He bawled his eyes out at the intensity so Misty held him closer to her body. Spreading out his wings, Charizard landed on his feet, with a quaking mother and son, getting off of his back.

Taking shaky steps, Misty leaned into Charizard with Starmie trailing behind them, on the look out for any more enemies. This part of the forest that they landed with in remained healthy and fresh just like how she remembered it from all those years ago.

"Celebi!" She coughed out, accidentally inhaling some smoke from earlier. "Celebi?"

The familiar hum of the strange pokemon drew nigh, and Misty stumbled towards a tree, her son finally asleep after all that crying. Slumping down against it, she called back Starmie and looked at the light that was Celebi.

A small, almost absent smile graced her lips as the little faerie pokemon fluttered around her.

"Hello Celebi, sorry that it's been a while." She greeted with a smile, resting her son against her bent legs. "I have a favor to ask of you."

The pokemon tilted its head in question. "'Bi?"

"I need you to take us back in time, about twenty-three years ago." Misty spoke quietly, eyes on her son.

"Cele' Celebi 'bi!" The Celebi fluttered around ecstatically. "Celebi cele'!"

Misty offered a broken smile, "I'm glad."

Celebi twisted and danced about the area, glowing a bright neon green, humming all the while. Used to the pokemon, Misty rested her eyes and leaned against the tree. A rush of the wind, and the temporal humming, calmed her and slowed her down to a somewhat familiar sense of normality.

When she opened her blue eyes, all around her was lush green forest, and she felt a renewed vigor flowing through her veins. Her baby boy, still fast asleep, but looking much calmer and happier than he had been. A gentle smile lit her face. The noise of the Celebi fluttering in front of her reminded her of why she was there.

"Thank you, Celebi…for everything." Misty earnestly gratified.

She lifted her son off her legs and into her arms, leaning against her shoulder. Slowly, gingerly, the mother got up off the ground and took a few shaky steps before filling with confidence and taking it in stride. Misty found her way to the harbor near by and eventually found a boat to take her to Pallet Town. An older man sat next to her on the bench on deck and neither said a word. It wasn't until Misty looked at him that she realized who it was. It had been a good ten years since she had last seen him, and now…

"Professor Oak!" She gasped, "I can't believe I can into you!"

He blinked, frowning at her. "And who are you?"

"I'm a friend that…well…it's better if I told you how I got here." She fidgeted in her seat. "Celebi brought me here, to this time. You remember Ash, Brock, and Misty from what happened with Celebi, don't you?"

"You're…" His eyes widened in recognition.

She nodded, biting down on her lip and clutching her son closer to her. "I'm Misty, Ash's wife."

"Something happened in the future…didn't it?" Professor Oak asked. "And you can't go back can you?"

"I trust you with my son. I need to go back and help Ash!" Misty's eyes raced with unknown emotions.

He looked at her eyes and looked at the child she held close to her and back up at her eyes. "What's the little tikes name?"

"We named him Gary. Gary Sebastian Ketchum." She kissed the top of Gary's fuzzy head.

"It's a good name." Oak smiled at her, placing a hand on the baby boy. "You can count on me, Misty. Though I may be old in age, that doesn't mean I won't be able to take care of him for you."

Her eyes watered and she leaned into his shoulder, cradling her son near her. "Thank you." She sniffed, rubbing her eyes. A broken smile that reached her eyes beautified her face with motherly warmth. "Thanks, Professor."

She placed little Gary in his arms and gave her son one last kiss before she summoned her Gyrados. Jumping off the ship and onto her pokemon, she gave one last wave to the Professor and her son before charging back towards the island.

"I'm coming, Ash Ketchum! Don't you dare give up on me now!" She growled through her teeth.

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**Seven Years Later**

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"Hey Gramps, do you know who my parents are?" A small auburn-head boy asked his grandpa as he sat on his lap.

The boy and the grandfather sat in a living room in a rocking chair. On the wooden floor lay a woven carpet and painted beige walls with a stone fireplace a meter in front of the rocking chair they sat in and on the shelf lay pictures of the two and a poem resting against the stone.

"They were wonderful people, Gary." His grandpa finally answered. "Both of them wonderful trainers and your father was one of the best I've ever seen. Your mother was a water pokemon trainer."

The little boy looked up at his grandfather in wonder, "Really?" His little voice squeaked. "Do you think they would be proud of me?"

"They would be very proud of you." He offered his grandson a warm smile.

Satisfied, he snuggled with his grandfather, slowly falling asleep. When Gary did, his grandfather looked into the fireplace and smiled bitter-sweetly.

"Ash, Misty, I hope you come for your boy soon. He misses you." The older sighed. "Whenever you are, may you two reunite soon."

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**My name is silvertantei and please review, readers. I'd love to hear what you guys think about the story. **


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